Best of the 2010s: Decade-defining moments in Philippine sports

MANILA, Philippines – The 2010s have been nothing short of successful for Philippine sports, with historic performances and dynasties established across the years.

From ending yearlong droughts to reaffirming dominance in their respective fields, Philippine athletes have made their mark in stages here and abroad.

On the last day of the decade, Philstar.com looks back at some of the most memorable moments of Philippine sports for the past 10 years.

Philstar.com/Efigenio Christopher Toledo IV

1. Hidilyn Diaz ends Olympic-medal drought

Perhaps the biggest story for Filipino athletes in the past decade was Hidilyn Diaz winning the country's first Olympic silver medal since Onyok Velasco in 1996.

Diaz registered a bridesmaid finish in 53-kg weight division of women's weightlifting in Rio De Janeiro in 2016.

Since then, Diaz has become a household name, clinching medals in the Weightlifting World Championships, Asian Games and the Southeast Asian Games.

Most recently, the Zamboanga-native cruised to her first ever SEA Games gold medal in the meet held in Manila.

Diaz is now vying for another Olympic berth in the Summer Games in Tokyo in 2020.

Philstar.com/Efigenio Christopher Toledo IV

2. Yulo, Petecio banner Filipinos in World Championships

Apart from the Olympics, Filipinos also stood out in world meets.

Gymnast Carlos Yulo delivered a historic gold medal for the Philippines in the 41st FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in October 2019, the first ever for the country.

Less than a day after Yulo, Filipina boxer Nesthy Petecio also gave the Philippines a gold in the 2019 Aiba Women's World Boxing Championships in Russia.

Petecio gave the country it's second boxing world championship gold after Josie Gabuco first accomplished the feat in 2012.

All three aforementioned athletes also shined in the 30th Southeast Asian Games, taking home gold medal finishes.

Yulo, for his part, has also clinched a spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics along with pole vaulter EJ Obiena.

Philstar.com/Erwin Cagadas Jr.

3. Philippine basketball asserts regional dominance 

Gilas Pilipinas started and ended the decade at the top of the pack in the region.

In a 10-year-campaign headlined by two World Cup appearances and a 13th straight SEA Games gold medal finish, the Filipino cagers remain untouchable in the Southeast Asian region.

Another highlight was the Filipinos' win against Korea in 2013 that eventually secured Gilas' spot in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

The victory ended a six-year losing streak against the Koreans.

For their part, the Gilas Pilipinas women's squad also made a historic run to their first-ever SEA Games gold medal in 2019.

In the PBA, the San Miguel Beermen have been dominant and took eight titles in a span of five seasons from 2015 to 2019.

The now defunct San Mig Coffee Mixers also had a stellar showing in 2014 where they took a three-conference grand slam despite finishing the eliminations not higher than fourth in each conference.

Taking a grand slam is difficult to achieve as it is, but with the way that they clinched against odds made it all the more impressive.

AFP

4. Pacquiao continues to defy Father Time

Despite turning 32 in 2010, Manny Pacquiao has refused to slow down in his decorated boxing career.

Since the beginning of the decade, Pacquiao has found himself inside the ring 16 times.

The fighting senator won 12 out of the 16 bouts, including a convincing victory against 31-year-old Keith Thurman in July 2019 for the WBA Super World Welterweight title.

Pacquiao also took part in what was dubbed the "Fight of the Century" against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2015 where he lost via unanimous decision.

After 71 professional fights already under his belt, the Filipino legend is still looking for more in the near future.

Philstar.com/Luisa Morales

5. Resurgence of Philippine football

While basketball and volleyball remain the staple for sports fans in the country, Filipino football has been on the rise for the past 10 years.

Sparked by the Philippine Azkals' "Miracle in Hanoi" in 2010, "the beautiful game" has slowly crept into the limelight.

The Filipino booters stunned then-AFF Suzuki Cup defending champions Vietnam in front of a hostile crowd in My Dinh National Stadium Pitch with a 2-0 upset.

The unexpected victory propelled Football back to the hearts of Philippine fans and has since made its mark.

The Azkals also made history in 2019, debuting in the AFC Asian Cup and while they were unable to clinch a win, the Azkals continued their steady improvement.

On the women side, the Philippine Malditas have also made their own strides within the past few years.

Sitting in a program-best 67th place in the FIFA World Rankings, the Filipina booters booked historic runs in the AFF Women's Championship and the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

They also only narrowly missed a spot in the Olympic Qualifiers.

Clearly, there is still a lot more in store for both the Azkals and the Malditas in the years to come.

Philstar.com/Erwin Cagadas Jr.

6. Collegiate squads mark historic dynasties

Apart from national team performances, dynasties across teams in the collegiate leagues also bloomed in the 2010s.

The longest of which is the Adamson Lady Falcons in UAAP softball.

Winning a nine-peat championship in 2019, the San Marcelino squad has cemented themselves as queens of the diamond.

Reaching every edition of the UAAP softball finals since 2010, the Lady Falcons have produced quite a number of notable alumni who have gone on to the equally decorated RP Blu Girls.

Another long-standing dynasty in the UAAP is the six-year dominance of the NU Lady Bulldogs in women's basketball.

Going undefeated through 96 games, the Sampaloc-based squad has become the epitome of success in collegiate women's hoops.

Coached by Pat Aquino, the NU Women's basketball program has been a recruitment mine for the Gilas Pilipinas women pool in recent history.

Meanwhile, the Ateneo Blue Eagles concluded the decade with a three-peat championship in the UAAP men's basketball tournament with their most recent title clinched via a 16-0 sweep.

The San Beda Red Lions, for their part, ruled NCAA men's hoops after making 10 finals appearances and clinching eight championships since the decade began.

The Ateneo Men's Swimming Team, meanwhile, took six straight championships to close out the decade.

In the volleyball scene, Rami de Jesus' De La Salle Lady Spikers ruled the decade with a total of six championships to their name.

Save for the 81st edition of the UAAP, the Taft-based squad have been a staple in the collegiate league's Finals since 2010.

Contributed photo

7. Team Lakay, Vera collect ONE Championship belts

Filipinos have also made a name for themselves in the international mixed martial arts scene.

Singapore-based MMA promotion ONE Championship, Team Lakay and Brandon Vera have put the Philippines on the map in recent years.

At the end of 2018, Team Lakay's Eduard Folayang, Joshua Pacio, Kevin Belingon and Geje Eustaquio, along with Vera all held world title belts to their name.

While only two remain with Vera and Pacio at present, their dominating performance in the sport can only mean better things to come in the near future.

With MMA possibly coming to the Olympics in the coming years, Filipino fighters may just bring their prowess to the world’s biggest stage.

Philstar.com/Efigenio Christopher Toledo IV/Luisa Morales/Erwin Cagadas Jr.

8. Philippines clinches SEA Games general championship

The 30th Southeast Asian Games proved to be a display of mastery of Team Philippines, with the hosts clinching the general championship for the first time since 2005.

Leading all 11 countries in the medal haul with 149 golds, 117 silvers and 121 bronzes, Filipino athletes stood out in the recently concluded games.

Highlights included a stellar run from the Philippine men's volleyball team that ended a 42-year Finals appearance drought.

Billiards legend Efren "Bata" Reyes also took the stage at 65-years-old and ended his campaign with a bronze medal in the carom event.

Decorated athletes like Agatha Wong, Hidilyn Diaz, Carlos Yulo, Margielyn Didal and EJ Obiena also had stellar runs in the country's hosting of the meet.

Dominant softball team RP Blu Girls also continued their reign with their 10th straight SEA Games gold.